A Nashville Pond Society volunteer finishes up work around the pond at Alive Hospice on Patterson Street in 2007. / John Partipilo / File / The Tennessean

Written by

Gail Kerr

The Tennessean

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For more information about hospice care, go to http://www.alivehospice.org or call 615-327-1085. Alive Hospice also offers classes for adults and children who are grieving, whether or not their loved one was in hospice care. Registration for the next round is Jan. 3. A list of classes is on their website.

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It’s a hard time of the year to talk about dying.

This is the season we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Which is why what country music icon Ray Price is doing so pulls on your heartstrings.

Price is dying. It appears he’s had enough. He voluntarily ceased all cancer treatments and has gone home to spend his last days pain-free and comfortable, thanks to the services of hospice. He’s best known for his rendition of “Help Me Make it Through the Night” and “Crazy Arms.”

An Associated Press story out of Tyler, Texas, quoted Price’s wife as saying the singer is in his “final days” of an aggressive form of pancreatic cancer. The Country Music Hall of Fame member had been undergoing treatment but decided to stop since the disease recently spread to his liver and lungs. He was released from the hospital by his choice and plans to stay at his ranch in Mount Pleasant, Texas.

“I love my fans and have devoted my life to reaching out to them,” Price, 87, said in a final message sent through his wife, Janie Price. “I appreciate their support all these years, and I hope I haven’t let them down. I am at peace. I love Jesus. I’m going to be just fine. Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you again one day.”

If that doesn’t tear you up, nothing will. But it shouldn’t. Price will begin receiving hospice care, which is aimed at keeping a dying person lucid but pain-free in the final days. It’s about keeping the patient comfortable, not about aggressive treatment. It’s about doing what you want with the time you’ve got. Hospice care is a blessing.

“You know what I love about my job? I get to see people like that,” said Dr. John Shuster, chief medical officer for Alive Hospice in Nashville. Price’s hospice care is in Texas, and the local hospice organization has no involvement with it.

But Shuster said Price’s attitude is what makes hospice special. It’s not about dying. It’s about living well during the time left.

“It’s really pretty simple,” Shuster said. “When illness has advanced to a point that cure is no longer a reasonable expectation, we help patients and families make the most of this gift of time. We recognize that every moment is precious.”

Hospice care starts with symptom control, be it pain, nausea, not sleeping or eating. Once symptoms are under control, “the good stuff is enabled,” the doctor said. That, he said, is whatever makes each individual happy and at peace.

That might be meeting with family members to ask or receive forgiveness. It might be hearing every favorite classical music piece one more time. Or, it might be building birdhouses.

Dr. Shuster said he had one patient, a woodworker, who wanted nothing more than to finish a birdhouse for each of his grandchildren. To do that safely, since he was working with tools, he chose to take only limited amounts of pain medication. The minute he was done, he called the doctor and told him to crank up the meds.

“It was important to him,” said Shuster. “We ask them, ‘What are the gifts you’d like to give or be given with this period of time?’ ”

He said he’s frequently asked at cocktail parties, “How can you do this? It must be so stressful.”

“I say no, because we help people look for hope. We respect people’s dignity and keep their self-respect. We’re not going to speed things up, and we won’t do a lot to string this out. We are helping people write the end of their life story.”

No one is turned away because they cannot pay. A team is assigned to each patient to make sure their needs are met, how and where the patient desires. That team also works with the families of hospice patients. The nonprofit’s “values” are topped by this one: “We believe death to be a natural part of life’s journey.” They also believe in honesty, integrity, compassion, respect and dignity.

Ninety percent of Alive Hospice’s patients are cared for in their own homes. The rest are put in the organization’s residential facilities. Patients enter hospice after a doctor’s referral. Patients are still in charge of their own care, and hospice does nothing to expedite or cause death. If you outlive your diagnosis, you can still stay in hospice care. Doctors aren’t God, and they cannot always know how long someone has to live.

Price’s wife said the star is “alert and aware of his surroundings and making decisions.”

Nashville’s thoughts and prayers are with this music man and his family as he finds comfort, joy and peace. And isn’t that what the Christmas season is all about?

Gail Kerr’s column runs on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. She can be reached at 615-259-8085 or gkerr@tennessean.com.